U2 Sorts Out Paperless Ticket Issues

Irish rockers U2 seemed to have fixed the ticketing issues that caused confusion and long lines at the first two shows on their Joshua Tree Tour — problems that stemmed from the band’s efforts to thwart ticket scalpers.

In what is one of the biggest tests of “paperless tickets” to date, U2’s current Joshua Tree Tour requires fans to present their credit card and ID to gain access to highly coveted floor seats. The anti-resale technology is designed to make it difficult for scalpers to flip their tickets on sites like StubHub.

The test got off to a rocky start, with thousands of fans stuck outside of BC Place stadium in Vancouver Friday (May 12) trying to access the show with many confused about where to queue up for access. Fans were unclear which lines to stand in, particularly for general-admission entry to the stadium floor, and many were stuck outside the stadium when opening act Mumford and Sons took to the stage.